Cushioned mop handle



April 8, 1941. G. M. oLsEN GUSHIONED HOP HANDLE Filed Aug. 25, 1938Patented Apr; 8,1941

s PATENT oFElcE Y cusmousn Mor HANDLE v Georgia M. Olsen, Caldwell,Idaho application August z5, 193s'. semi No. 226,613 1 claim. (c1.1:-143) 'I'his invention relates to handles for brooms, mops or similardomestic appliances and more particularly to a cushion covering for dustmop handles.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a mop handle thatwill have a resilientI exterior surface, the purpose of which is toprotect furniture, wood work and furnishings from scratches, mars andbruises such as normally would be caused by the impact or scraping ofhard handles against the same. Such a resilient exterior surface isprovided by forming the handle of a hard core with a surrounding layerof soft rubber composition or other resilient material bonded thereto,or providing a sheath of a resilient material to be slipped over aconventional handle or providing a handle formed of any suitablematerial that would be soft enough on its exterior surface vfor thepurpose intended.`

` tion.

Certain practical embodiments of the invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing,

wherein:

Figure l is an elevational view partly in section of one form of mophandle;

Figure 2 is an elevational view partly in section of a resilient sheathfor a mop handle;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of another form of mop handle;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line Figure 3;

Figure 5 shows a modified form of handle attaching means for the handleof Figure `3;

Figure 6 shows a modified form of handle of the type shown in Figure 3without a knob;

Figure 'l shows a modified form of resilient sheath of the type shown inFigure 2 without a lrnob formation, and

Figure 8 shows a modified form of resilient mop handle of the type shownin Fig. l having a plain end.

Referring to the drawing, the cushion mop handle lll, see Figure 1 ismade up of a rigid core Il which may be solid or tubular metallic rod ora rod of any other suitable material. Surrounding the core il is a layerof soft rubber il or any other resilient material of any desired v dleis shown in Figure 2. In this instance there thickness that uniformlysurrounds the core from end to end thereof to provide a cylindricalhandle of conventional diameter. At its upper end, the soft rubber layeri2 is enlarged to provide a cushion head or knob I3 which willI functionto prevent bruises caused by impact` of end of handle in backwardstroke, to prevent the handle from slipping when the same is laidagainst a wall and which furthermore will prevent the damaging of anyobject in the event that the handle of the mop falls as Well asobviating the jarring noisethat usually accompanies the falling of aconventional form of handle. Obviously the cushion head i 3 can be madein any desired shape or size. The lower end of the cushion handle `iiiis shown attached by one well known manner-Ito a mop i4, indicated bydotted lines, although it is to be understood that anyl form ofattaching or adjusting connection may be utilized, such forming no partof this invention.

Another manner of providing a cushion hanis formed a sheath 20,preferably of rubberized fabric made in any desired manner and of a sizethat the same may be readily slipped over a conventional mop handle tocompletely cover the same. At its upper end the sheath 20 is madesomewhat bulbous, of any desired shape or size, to define a cushion head2 i the interior of which is filled with a rubber body 22 the wholebeing bonded together in the manner well known. Preferably theA sheath2li should snugly fit the mop handle so as to obviate any tendency forthe same to slip off of said handle. Obviously the sheath 2D may be madeof any material that will provides. soft surrounding layer around thehandle for the purpose intended.

In Figure 3 there is shown a mop handle 30 that is made up of a non-woodor non-metallic material to form a cushioned handle having the requisitestiffness necessary in a handle and at the same time provide an exteriorsurface soft enough to have the desired characteristics as aboveindicated. One such manner of effecting a handle of this character maybe achieved by rolling a rubberized fabric 3i into the shape of ahandle, see Figure 4, and vulcanizing the same so as to unite the layersof the fabric. In the manufacture of the handle 30, the same may bemolded to provide at its upper end a cushion knob 32 and at its lowerend a threaded portion 33 for attaching the handle 30 to a mop (notshown), in the manner well known. Obviously any other form of attachingmeans may be utilized. For example. in Figure 5, the lower end of thehandle 30a may be flattened as at 3l and folded over` a mop attachingbar 35 to which said flattened end 34 may be secured as by the rivet 36.

The forming of a handle of the kind shown in Figure 3 is not to belimited to one made up of rubberized fabric. VA similar type of handlecan be made up by the molding of a suitable plastic having thecharacteristic of providing a soft exterior surface. Obviously manyother methods of constructing such a handle may be developed, it beingcontemplated to so form a handle in any manner so that the exterior ofmop handle will be soit enough to protect furniture and woodwork fromscratches and mars to other injury caused by impact or contact with mophandle.

While in Figures l, 2 and 3, the cushion head or'knob, respectivelyindicated as at i3, 2| and 32 is ,utilized as an integral part of eachof the respective cushion handle constructions, the same may be formedmerely as an axial enlargement of the same diameter as the externaldiameter of the handle or sheath without presenting any externalknob-like appearance. Thus, for example, the top of the sheath i2',Figure 8 may be thickened at the end thereof without diametralenlargement into a knob, to thereby form a pad i3' only at the end ofthe handle and not on the sides thereof. In s. like manner the sameconstruction may be utilized in the sheath 20', Figure 7, and thecushion handle I0', Figure 6.

Obviously the use of the cushion pad construction at the ends of thehandle may be dispensed with in some cases, and in any event the usethereof is entirely optional. l

From the foregoing it tvill be apparent that there is produced a handleof the character described which possesses all of the features ofadvantage set forth as possible.

Having thus described my invention I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

A removable covering for the handle of a mop, broom or the likecomprising a tubular sheath of resilient material, said sheath being otuniform diameter and of uniform thickness throughout to snugly flt saidhandle and of a length coextensive with the latter, the upper end ofsaid sheath being closed and of a diameter greater than the diameter ofthe major portion of the sheath but of the same thickness as the latterforming a. knob-like head, a-rubber mass within said head completelyillling the same and permanently united thereto. f

GEORGIA M. OLSEN.

